SERAPI
Northwest Persian Antique Carpet

(Connoisseur-Caliber) ("New Arrivals Gallery") A folkloric quality that expresses the Serapi character is on full display in this piece, as no two flowers or leaves are alike, even those that are symmetrically paired on either side. The drawing is spontaneous and alive. Its bipartite medallion is yet another iteration of the seemingly endless variation of Serapi carpets while never straying far away from their essence. Spiky ivory-swathed pendants sweep through a field of delightful botanical abstractions. The connected corner spandrels feature unusual house-like structures crowned by a tiny cross. Within each is suspiciously figural trios, perhaps inviting us inside. Within a lusciously soft 19th-century palette can be found luminous 19th-century hues in a visual symphony of sunset reds, shimmering aquamarines, and ochre. The deft application of spontaneous yet masterful abrash color shifts leaves the viewer without a lull in visual pleasure wherever they look. A boldly drawn and playful Shah Abbas border has become completely geometricized, the contours of the palmettes shifting from hexagonal to square. Its heavier pile condition is astonishing for its age, with a gentle glow emanating from a light patina.

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